Press Digest: Hong Kong - Oct 20

Sino Land

20/10/2015 02:29

HONG KONG, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Following are some of the 
leading stories in Hong Kong newspapers on Tuesday. Reuters has 
not verified these stories and does not vouch for their 
accuracy.   
         
    SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST  
    - Political squabbles and high flat prices, coupled with an 
expected slowdown in China's economy, have made Hong Kong's 
economic outlook for next year dimmer, according to a survey by  
accounting body CPA Australia. The survey showed that 53 percent 
felt pessimistic about the city's economy in the coming year as 
Hong Kong was losing out to China in competitiveness. (http://bit.ly/1XglhlC) 
    - Hong Kong businesses and investors should cash in on 
low-carbon development in the city's maritime and aviation 
industries as well as the mainland's cap and trade programme on 
emissions once binding climate agreements are set in Paris in 
December, according to Vicky Pollarda, who is a top European 
Union climate adviser for China. (http://bit.ly/1PCOZPH) 
    - The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is examining who should 
be held responsible for a security flaw that allowed customers' 
full names on contactless credit cards to be read by 
unauthorised parties. The authority's deputy chief Arthur Yuen 
said it had asked seven banks and two companies to look into why 
some 1.25 million cards contained the cardholder's name. (http://bit.ly/1M3fC0n) 
     
    THE STANDARD 
    - Members of Lingnan University Council held direct talks 
with students after chairman Rex Auyeung failed to reach a 
consensus with the students on the council's structural reform 
and academic freedom. Auyeung said the council will discuss 
whether or not to set up a special task force to study the 
possibility of amending the university ordinance as demanded by 
the students. (http://bit.ly/1jQTEky) 
    - Hong Kong could safeguard its position as an international 
arbitration center if third-party funding for proceedings were 
made legal, the Law Reform Commission has suggested. The 
legislation would allow enterprises with limited finances to 
have a fair chance of dealing with disputes, according to 
subcommittee chairman Kim Rooney. (http://bit.ly/1M1X0Yw) 
    - Cheung Kong Infrastructure  1038.HK  and Power Assets 
Holdings Ltd  0006.HK  described a proposed share swap ratio for 
their merger as "fair and reasonable," citing an independent 
report. The advisory firm, hired by CKI and whose name was not 
disclosed, saw the plan "in the interests of Power Assets and 
its shareholders as a whole" and "recommends" investors to vote 
for the proposed merger. (http://bit.ly/1Rl4WIF) 
     
    HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES 
    - Mainland property developer Evergrande Real Estate Group 
 3333.HK  said it would buy a commerical and residential 
development project in China's Chongqing from Hong Kong-based 
Chinese Estates Holdings Ltd  0127.HK , Sino Land  0083.HK  and 
CC Land  1224.HK  for an aggregate HK$7 billion ($903.25 
million).  
  
    For Chinese newspapers, see............... PRESS/CN    
($1 = 7.7498 Hong Kong dollars) 
 
 (Reporting by Donny Kwok; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath) 
 ((donny.kwok@thomsonreuters.com)(+852 2843 6470)(Reuters 
Messaging: donny.kwok.reuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: PRESS DIGEST HONGKONG/